The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced the opening of the application period for the expanded 2014 Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program.
The program, which awards financial and educational resources to developers of affordable housing in North America that are committed to building sustainable communities through the LEED for Neighborhood Development program, is made possible by an $850,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.
This year the program will expand to 14 awardees from 10 in 2012, the most recent year that grants were awarded. Applications will be accepted from now until July 11, 2014.
LEED for Neighborhood Development is a green neighborhood rating system that integrates the principles of smart growth, new urbanism and green building, while benefitting communities by reducing urban sprawl, increasing transportation choices and decreasing automobile dependence, encouraging healthy living, and protecting threatened species.
“Ensuring universal access to healthy and affordable housing for all people is a critical element of our pursuit of a sustainable built environment,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “Green buildings and neighborhoods are about the people who inhabit them every day, and Bank of America is committed to creating vibrant, walkable and affordable communities that enhance the quality of life for everyone who calls them home.”
“Together, Bank of America and USGBC are bringing to life the best plans in sustainable community development throughout North America,” said Alex Liftman, global environmental executive, Bank of America. “The continued growth of the LEED for Neighborhood Development and the Affordable Green Neighborhood programs showcases how communities can design and build in a way that protects our environment while enhancing economic vitality.”
A review committee of industry leaders will award 14 affordable housing projects in the U.S. and Canada with the following support:
-
Cash award of $25,000 USD to be used to pursue LEED for Neighborhood Development certification
-
Complimentary LEED for Neighborhood Development reference guide
-
Registration for the online LEED for Neighborhood Development webinar series
-
Registration for a LEED for Neighborhood Development educational workshop
-
Waived registration and exam fees for one member of each project team to pursue the LEED Green Associate professional credential
-
Monthly support calls and direct access for technical inquiries
-
One registration for the National Affordable Green Homes & Sustainable Communities Summit during the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in New Orleans
-
Travel stipend to attend Greenbuild 2014
-
In addition to the award package, three to four projects will be selected to receive a two-day, in-person technical assistance session with a team of USGBC and Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) staff, valued at $3,000. The in-person meetings provide an opportunity for USGBC and GBCI staff to provide intensive, dedicated assistance to projects pursuing certification. The application form provides interested projects the opportunity to apply for the selective technical assistance sessions.
This is the third round of funding the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has provided for the Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program. The 2014 program has grown to include support for additional projects, in-person technical assistance visits and an expanded focus to include Canadian projects.
Through the previous cycles of the grant program in 2012 and 2010, USGBC has provided assistance to 20 affordable housing redevelopment projects across the country, representing the creation of 8,448 rental units and 2,391 for-sale units. All projects are being designed and built to the highest standards of environmental sustainability and indoor air quality, with the majority reserved for low-income residents.
Applicants for the program will be notified of their status in early September. To learn more about the Affordable Green Neighborhoods Grant Program and/or to apply, visit www.usgbc.org/initiatives/grants/affordable-neighborhoods.
Related Stories
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023
Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this
Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Laboratories | Jul 10, 2023
U.S. Department of Agriculture opens nation’s first biosafety level 4 containment facility for animal disease research
Replacing a seven-decade-old animal disease center, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility includes the nation’s first facility with biosafety containment capable of housing large livestock.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 6, 2023
The responsibility of adapting historic university buildings
Shepley Bulfinch's David Whitehill, AIA, believes the adaptive reuse of historic university buildings is not a matter of sentimentality but of practicality, progress, and preservation.
Market Data | Jul 5, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending decreased in May, its first drop in nearly a year
National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.06 trillion.
Architects | Jul 5, 2023
Niles Bolton Associates promotes Jeffrey Smith, AIA, to President and C. Cannon Reynolds, AIA, to Managing Director
Niles Bolton Associates (NBA), a leading architecture, planning and design firm, announces leadership changes as a part of its ongoing commitment to future growth. Current Executive Vice President, Jeffrey Smith, AIA, has been named President and C. Cannon Reynolds, AIA, has been named Managing Director effective June 30, 2023.
Mixed-Use | Jun 29, 2023
Massive work-live-play development opens in LA's new Cumulus District
VOX at Cumulus, a 14-acre work-live-play development in Los Angeles, offers 910 housing units and 100,000 sf of retail space anchored by a Whole Foods outlet. VOX, one of the largest mixed-use communities to open in the Los Angeles area, features apartments and townhomes with more than one dozen floorplans.
Office Buildings | Jun 28, 2023
When office-to-residential conversion works
The cost and design challenges involved with office-to-residential conversions can be daunting; designers need to devise creative uses to fully utilize the space.
Architects | Jun 28, 2023
CSHQA hires first CEO in company's 134-year history
The Board of Directors of CSHQA announced the appointment of Ryan D. Martin, AIA NCARB as Chief Executive Officer.
